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Monday, 16 May 2016

friends forever

As
I crawl back to my routine, I struggle with
my early morning alarm. My mind rewinds to the hectic two weeks I had
bringing in the big ‘4’ for some of my closest friends or I should say
'our' closest friends. Friends who live far
away from me, friends for whom we have traveled miles just to be there
with
them on their big day.

People
are amused when I said that was away to visit friends and just to be
with them on their big day. A few years back, I probably would
never have done such a thing. I used to often wonder on what’s the big
deal of
hitting this milestone. But over the last few years, I have been witness
to
some dear friends crossing this line and it made me realise it’s not
just
‘another’ birthday celebration.These are friends who have been part of different phases of my life.
Some from school, some from my work days, and some I just met by chance (even
at a birthday party). When and how did these friends become an integral part of
my life? Is it because I have been away from family for long? I have spent childhood
in half a dozen schools but I still remember the names of friends I made there.
Thanks to
technology, I manage to stay in touch with them even now. We exchange jokes,
birthday wishes, kid’s photos regularly. We have no idea when we will meet each
other, but this open communication has tied me to them.

One of them visited me recently after almost five years. We took off
instantly. Our kids knew each other (through pictures they had seen), we didn’t
need to update each other on our lives and we spent the whole evening laughing
about our college days and desperately trying to work out a schedule when the gang
could meet and we failed badly!! But I still haven’t given up!Ironically I celebrated my 40th
a week ago too. The celebration
was nothing short of a wedding (even my wedding was not so grand and
fun). It was not about the number of people who attended, but the
mood it brought along, the friends who traveled from far and near just
to be
with me on that day. Every moment was special. It was a true celebration
of
years of friendships, times we have shared together and an ode to our
next few years together.

I don’t worry about the extra inches I may have put on. I rather smile over all the silly things
we did, the insane fun we had and seal it up for the next decade we shall cross
together.Strangely,
my 8-year old passed an interesting comment on
the breakfast table a few days ago. She probably could read the
excitement on my face the last few days. She said there seems to be only
one common thing between you
and me (her mum and her). We both ‘live’ for our friends. She is right-
we are
both strikingly different personalities yet we can go our arm and length
for
our friends. When I was a kid my mum often joked that I could die for my
friends. I see the same spirit in my daughter too. She values her
relationships; she stands by them at any cost. As for me, I can do with a
birthday celebration like this every five years! No complaints at all!!